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Moisture Equals Mold

Every homeowner has heard about mold problems, but may not know the extent of damage mold can cause and the importance of catching it early. The problem with mold is not just its unsightliness, but the health problems it causes. Further, once mold forms it never goes away without treatment but only gets worse over time. It’s important to be aware of the signs of mold in your home and have regular inspections to prevent it from becoming a problem if it does begin to form.

How Moisture Gets in the Home

Moisture can enter the home through a number of methods. The most obvious is a physical leak. Whether water is coming into the attic due a poorly maintained roof, into the basement through a cracked foundation, or around a door or window which isn’t properly installed, physical water leaks are easy to find and identify a plan to correct.

Less obvious moisture problems come from humidity and condensation. During the summer months, humidity can get in the home. Even though air conditioning is designed to lower humidity levels, it doesn’t remove all the moisture from the air. You’ll never notice without formal testing and inspections how much moisture is there until you begin to find mold has formed on the things in your home.

How Mold Forms

The short version is mold forms from moisture. It actually forms from mold spores which are commonly found on any organic material. You may not realize it, but there is organic material in your walls. So the spores are already there, waiting for the addition of water to become a full blown mold infection ready to cause problems to even a healthy person and even more to an infant or elderly person who lives in the home. It can also have horrible effects on someone with preexisting conditions such as asthma. A point worth noting is mold poisoning is actually an allergic reaction so you don’t develop a tolerance but rather become more susceptible to it in the future.

Conclusion

There are a number of inspections your home needs on a regular basis. Mold is one of them. A professional mold inspector will use specialized tools to measure the amount of moisture in your home, then use a mathematical formula to determine the extent of likely mold growth and possible mold formation.